1. Field
The present invention relates to the trailer transport, and intermediate temporary storage, of bulk cargo from a bulk product source or bulk material source to an end user. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for supplying a bulk material to an end user wherein a specially configured trailer having a wheeled chassis (e.g., drop frame) and a moving elevator transports a loaded vessel between a bulk material source and an end user, the trailer being configured to cradle the vessel in a generally horizontal position during transport and to move the vessel from the generally horizontal position to a generally vertical position for end use. At the source or origin and/or at destination the vessel may be used for intermediate temporary storage after being filled completely or partially with bulk material. A number of different container/vessel configurations are disclosed.
2. General Background
Many dried bulk cargo materials are supplied from a bulk material source to an end user using huge transport vehicles such as railroad cars and tractor trailer rigs. These presently available transport systems ignore the need of many smaller and medium sized end users that do not require full railroad car loads or full tractor trailer loads of the bulk material.
Bulk bags can be used to carry many dry bulk materials from a supplier to an end user. However, these bulk bags are limited in their capacity to loads of about 2000 pounds or less.
While certain novel features of this invention shown and described below are pointed out in the annexed claims, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details specified, since a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. No feature of the invention is critical or essential unless it is expressly stated as being “critical” or “essential.”